Elementary and Middle School English Test Results 1999 to 2004

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Elementary and Middle School English Test
Results 1999 to 2004
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Elementary EnglishThe Bottom Line

• Elementary school results declined for the first
  time, by 2 percentage points.
• Achievement of general education students
  declined students with disabilities improved.
• The achievement gap widened as fewer Black and
  Hispanic students met all the standards.
• However, the percentage of students with serious
  academic difficulties (Level 1) remained at
  significantly lower levels compared to 1999.

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Middle School EnglishThe Bottom Line

• Middle school students improved, by 2 percentage
  points.
• Fewer students had serious academic difficulties,
  scoring in level 1.
• Hispanic and Asian students improved the most.
• Overall results are still far too low.

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After four years of improvement in Elementary
English, results declined for the first time this
year as two percent fewer students met all the
standards (levels 3 and 4).
Total Public Tested 2004 206,390 2003
210,373 2002 213,065 2001 215,628 2000
217,412 1999 210,017
Public Schools Only
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The decline in Elementary English this year was
due to a decline in achievement by general
education students.
Number of Students Tested General-Education
Students Students With Disabilities 1999
184,100 1999 25,637 2000 190,012 2000
27,400 2001 188,256 2001 27,372 2002
186,803 2002 26,262 2003 185,388 2003
24,985 2004 179,852 2004 26,538
Percentage of students scoring in levels 3 and 4
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The percentage of students with disabilities
scoring at level 1 in Elementary English has
decreased significantly since 1999. And only 3
percent of general education students now have
serious academic difficulties, scoring in level
1.
Percentage of students scoring at level 1
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Elementary English

• Results by
• Need/Resource Capacity Category

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The achievement gap in Elementary English is
greatest at levels 3 and 4.
2004 Elementary English Test Results
Public Schools Only
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The decline in Elementary English performance
varied somewhat by type of district.
Percentage of all tested students at levels 3 and
4
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Since 1999, all types of districts have been able
to reduce the percentage of students scoring in
Level 1 in Elementary English.
Percentage of students scoring in level 1
All Students
Public Schools Only
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Elementary English

• Results by
• Racial/Ethnic Group

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Remember Most minority children live in high
need urban school districts. Most white children
live in average or low need districts.
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Most minority children are from families who live
below or near the poverty line. Most white
children are from families with higher incomes.
Percentage of children from low income families
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The decline this year in the number of students
meeting all the standards (levels 3 and 4) in
Elementary English was larger for Black students
than for White and Hispanic students.
Percentage of students scoring in levels 3 and 4
Public Schools Only
15
The achievement gap is lower at level 2 and above
on the 2004 Elementary English test, showing most
students meet some of the standards, but wider at
levels 3 and 4.
Public Schools Only
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One of the biggest achievements so far is
reducing the percentage of students with serious
academic difficulties (level 1) in Elementary
English. For Hispanic students, that number
continued to decline this year. The increase
this year for White and Black students was
small.
Percentage of students scoring in level 1
All Students
Public Schools Only
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Elementary English

• Results for the Big 5 Cities

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Among the Big 5, Yonkers and Buffalo increased
the percentage of students achieving all the
standards (levels 3 and 4) in Elementary English.
In Yonkers and New York City about half or more
of the students met all the standards.
Percentage of students scoring in levels 3 and 4
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Among the Big 5, New York City, Buffalo, and
Rochester continued to reduce the number of
students with serious academic difficulties
(level 1) in Elementary English. Almost all the
Big 5 have improved significantly since 1999.
Percentage of students scoring in level 1
All Students
Public Schools Only
20
Among the Big 5, Yonkers had the highest
performance at all levels on the 2004 Elementary
English test.
Public Schools Only
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Middle School English 1999 to 2004
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The percentage of students meeting all the
standards (levels 3 and 4) increased by 2
percentage points in Middle School English. The
percentage scoring at Level 1 decreased by 1.8
percentage points.
Total Public Tested 2004 218,635 2003
212,519 2002 206,648 2001 196,673 2000
196,501 1999 189,828
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The percentage of students meeting all the
standards increased more for general education
students than for special education students in
Middle School English.
Percentage of students scoring at Levels 3 and 4
Number of Students Tested General-Education
Students Students With Disabilities 1999
167,398 1999 22,430 2000 171,028 2000
25,473 2001 171,122 2001 25,551 2002
179,309 2002 27,339 2003 183,778 2003
28,741 2004 188,251 2004 30,384
Public Schools Only
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The percentage of students with disabilities
scoring at level 1 decreased between 1999 and
2004 in Middle School English. And only 3
percent of general education students now score
in level 1.
Percentage of students scoring at level 1
Public Schools Only
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Middle School English

• Results by
• Need/Resource Capacity Category

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The percentage of students meeting all the
standards in Middle School English increased in
all need/resource categories, with the largest
increase in New York City.
Percentage of students scoring at Levels 3 and 4
All Public School Students Tested
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Fewer students have serious academic difficulties
(level 1) in Middle School English in most
need/resource categories. New York City has
improved the most.
Percentage of students scoring in level 1
Public Schools Only
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The achievement gap is lower at level 2 and above
on the 2004 Middle School English test, showing
most students meet some of the standards, but
wider at levels 3 and 4.
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Middle School English

• Results by
• Racial/Ethnic Group

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Hispanic and Asian students especially improved
performance as more students met all the
standards in Middle School English.
Percentage of students scoring at Levels 3 and 4
Public Schools Only
31
Fewer Black and Hispanic students than ever
before had serious academic difficulties, scoring
in level 1 in Middle School English.
Percentage of students scoring in level 1
All Students
Public Schools Only
32
The achievement gap is the lowest at level 2 and
above on the 2004 Middle School English test,
showing most students meet some of the standards,
but wider at levels 3 and 4.
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Middle School English

• Results for the Big 5 Cities

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Among the Big 5, New York City, Buffalo, and
Rochester improved in Middle School English.
However, only New York City exceeded its
performance in 1999.
Percentage of students in levels 3 and 4
Public Schools Only
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All Big 5 districts except Syracuse reduced the
number of students who had serious academic
difficulties (level 1) in Middle School English.
New York City had the lowest percentage ever of
students with serious academic difficulties.
Percentage of students scoring in level 1
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Among the Big 5, New York City had the best
performance overall on the 2004 Middle School
English test.
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The Why

• We need to ask why elementary achievement in
  English declined this year after rising steadily
  since 1999.

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What To Do Next

• The State should adopt the Regents State Aid
  proposal to direct funds to the neediest
  children.
• We will complete the review of middle school
  policy and turn to implementation.
• Continue to improve access to a rich curriculum
  for students with disabilities.

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What To Do Next

• Improve the States accountability system,
  already considered one of the best in the nation,
  with grade 3-8 testing and the individual student
  data system, now being developed, which will
  track students throughout school.

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Elementary and Middle School English Test
Results 1999 to 2004